5 minute read

A Guide to CBD Pens: Do They Work?

Updated January 15, 2024

Written by

The information provided in our articles has undergone a thorough research process by a team of writers, editors, legal advisors, and medical experts to guarantee accuracy. Only reputable sources have been cited.

Furthermore, to ensure the most recent and relevant data, the content is consistently evaluated against current scientific literature and expert recommendations.

Vaping is on the rise worldwide and is growing in popularity day by day. It is especially popular among young adults. It has helped many quit smoking, and what is good is that now many vaping liquids are also enriched with ingredients good for health. CBD pens are just an excellent example of this.

There is a reason why the wellness industry must pay greater attention to vaping. The prime benefit of vaping is the instant effect of any ingredient and excellent bioavailability. In addition, it means that vaping CBD has the advantage of faster action.

For example, consider using CBD oil, which has good sublingual bioavailability but not so good bioavailability when ingested. This is because the intestines take a long time to absorb CBD, which also results in much wastage. Consequently also takes a long time to start acting. However, in the case of vaping, it works almost instantly, and the lungs directly and immediately absorb CBD vapors.

It is worth understanding that people often use CBD for health conditions requiring quick action. For example, more and more people use CBD products to manage conditions like anxiety and seizures. However, if a person takes a CBD capsule, it will start working quite slowly and may not prevent anxiety or seizure in its early stages. So, why not consider vaping?

First Off What Are CBD Pens

CBD pen is just another name for a vaping device. However, there is some difference, as manufacturers make these devices more specifically for CBD e-juices. These pens are quite like regular vaping devices with some minor differences to ensure better availability of CBD.

Additionally, there is something called disposable CBD vape pens. These pens come pre-filled with CBD e-juice, and one can simply discard them once the CBD has finished.

Generally, disposable pens contain a higher quality of CBD e-juice, and they are also simpler to use. However, they are slimmer and often represent a cigarette.

Nevertheless, both disposable and refillable devices or CBD pens are equally good with their own pros and cons.

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How Do CBD Pens Make You Feel

CBD pens do not contain THC, and thus they would not cause a high. However, this does not mean that CBD does not affect mood or the brain’s working. People use CBD for its various effects on mood. However, most of the effects of CBD are quite mild.

Thus, most people who use CBD pens report feeling relaxed, experiencing a sense of calmness, pain relief, and reduced fatigue. Additionally, frequent use may also prevent mood swings and reduce inflammation.

Here it is vital to understand that the effect of CBD pen also depends on the other ingredients. Most CBD e-juices would have some aroma, essential oils, terpenes, and other beneficial compounds.

Should I Use CBD Vape Pens for Anxiety

It is perhaps a good idea to use CBD vape pens for anxiety. Some people are highly prone to anxiety attacks, and seven a small threat may make them so nervous that they may find it difficult to cope with it.

However, the problem with medications is that they start acting too late. In many instances, an acute anxiety attack is over by the time medications start working.

It is best to prevent anxiety attacks in their early stages as soon as one starts feeling unusually worried. CBD vape pens are good because they might provide an almost instant relaxing effect. In fact, many people start smoking tobacco to overcome stress and anxiety. However, vaping CBD is a much healthier and more effective way to control anxiety.

CBD vape pens can help control anxiety and anxiety-related physical signs and symptoms. Thus, it may help reduce pain sensation and even reduce anxiety-associated gastrointestinal issues.

What Are Some of The Best CBD Vape Pens

Theoretically, one can simply buy CBD enriched vaping liquid and use it with just any vaping device. However, it is better to use devices specifically created for the purpose, as they have the right kind of heating filament to ensure maximum CBD bioavailability.

When it comes to choosing the devices, there is a choice between disposable and refillable. Disposable devices come pre-filled with CBD and are ready to use. They are also cheaper to procure. However, disposable may be more expensive over the long run.

Refillable CBD vape pens, on the other hand, are made to last long, and thus they are relatively more expensive. However, they are a better option who vape frequently. Additionally, one can also buy different kinds of CBD e-juices for such devices.

What Are Some of The Best Disposable CBD Vape Pens

There are numerous options in the market, and here we introduce some of the best-known brands. This would help both the consumers and business owners looking to introduce vaping products understand how the good vaping products must look like.

Secret Nature CBD Vape produces a range of premium products, both disposable and refill cartilages. This company specializes in full-spectrum CBD oil containing different cannabinoids and terpenes for the best vaping experience. This also helps provide the true plant aroma.

Cheef Botanicals CBD Pen is another example of a company producing an excellent range of CBD vaping products, from disposable vape pens to cartilages. What is good about this company is that it produces CBD vaping products in every imaginable flavor like lime, pine, blackberry, pineapple, mango, and many more. In addition, they have a nice and colorful product packing and provide an aromatic experience.

Funky Farms Reserve, as the name suggests, it produces a range of CBD vaping products that particularly focuses on young adults. And, yes, they also share numerous ideas about using CBD, like adding to various recipes and more.

Farmacy Bliss Vape Pen is good because it contains a moderately good dose of CBD. They have full-spectrum CBD oil that is free from solvents and rich in terpenes. Terpenes provide both aroma and flavor to the products.

PCKT One Plus, their products are for experienced users, as they have ultra-long batter life. However, this also means that their device is bulkier and does not look like a pen or cigarette. But, then larger size often means faster heating, long-lasting battery life, and a better product experience in many cases.

To conclude, there are many CBD vaping devices available. However, for those starting vaping and looking for something relatively affordable and for casual use, disposable CBD pens might be the best option. Moreover, they are quite slim and discreet.

if you are interested in the CBD e-juices business or CBD pens, we can help you come up with the right product idea.

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The Key Challenges of Owning a CBD Business

Updated January 15, 2024

Written by

dr. Preet Sal SB

CBD Health Benefits

Furthermore, to ensure the most recent and relevant data, the content is consistently evaluated against current scientific literature and expert recommendations.

CBD is already a big thing, and it will become even bigger. Experts estimate that the global CBD market is bigger than 5 billion USD. But, that is not all. It is a market that is bound to grow at an excellent pace for the next decade or more. Thus, it is expected to grow at the rate of 15-20% each year, which is a very high growth rate.

However, again, that is not all to the story. After all, the size of the market or its growth rate does not provide a complete picture. What is good about CBD is the massive profit margins. When compared to other health supplements, one can still sell CBD products at a premium price.

There are many growth drivers of CBD sales. It is worth understanding that still the majority of the world population still has to explore the benefits of CBD products. Another excellent thing about CBD is that it can be added to just any product from foods, supplements, or cosmetics. And thus, the possibilities are almost endless.

Moreover, the covid-19 pandemic has only positively influenced the CBD market. It is because now, more and more people are looking for natural remedies to stay healthy and safe.

Many people wonder if it is the right time to enter the CBD business or if it is not too late?

First and foremost, it is never too late to enter any business. However, one needs to create the right kind of business strategy depending on the market trends. For example, marketing strategy in countries where CBD products are just starting to take off would differ considerably from more mature markets.

CBD business challenges

How To Start Up a CBD Business

It could not be easy for those inexperienced in the health supplements business to understand a few things. However, first and foremost, one must know that the healthcare products market is more regulated than some other products.

Thus, the starting point for CBD business should be exploring the legal regulations regarding CBD products in the nation. For example, in the EU, CBD oil is considered to be a novel food, and thus one must get CBD oil registered as a novel food with health authorities or the European Commission. However, laws in other countries may vary greatly, and some nations are yet to legalize CBD.

Additionally, one should also understand other laws regulating the food products, packing, advertising of the healthcare and food products, and more.

Once the person has fully understood the legal requirement for getting started, the next step should be deciding on the product profile. First, one must determine what kind of segment to enter, like CBD oil, CBD-infused foods, CBD cosmetics, hemp oil products, and more.

Once a person has taken a decision about entering the specific CBD segment, let’s say CBD products for physically active individuals, sports people, products helping them stay focused and train better. First, one would need to think about differentiating the product from competitors. This may is done in many ways, like adding different ingredients to the product.

Next, one should decide on sales channels and product promotion. For example, some may choose to sell their product through Amazon, while others do so through a dedicated Shopify store or WooCommerce store. Finally, depending on the choice of platform, one would need to come up with a product promotion plan.

CBD business and challenges

The Top 3 Challenges CBD Business Owners Face

Starting any business is never going to be a straightforward task. Therefore, initial plans require frequent reassessment and changes. This is especially true for relatively more regulated businesses like food supplements, medications, or novel foods. Below are some of the challenges most CBD business owners face.

Challenging Public Perceptions of CBD

It is true that CBD seems to be everywhere and in everything. But, nonetheless, there are still many people who know almost nothing about CBD. Even worse, they still think that since CBD is from the cannabis plant, it means that it retains some properties of marijuana. Thus, they often consider it as something addictive and harmful to health.

There are many ways to overcome these issues, like sponsoring more clinical research into the subject and sharing scientific information with clients. It also means creating the right kind of promotional campaigns that help clients learn more about CBD.

Dealing With the Legality of CBD in Different Countries

This may often turn out to be the biggest challenge to overcome. Many CBD businesses never turn into reality, as startups find it too difficult to overcome regulatory hurdles. In countries like the US, things may seem pretty straightforward. Nonetheless, laws differ in every state.

Similarly, in the EU, edible CBD products must now get novel food approval, which is quite a tedious process. It means preparing a massive dossier, going through lots of documentation, and investing time and money to get the approval.

Additionally, there are significant differences between how various laws are implemented and interpreted in various nations. For example, some may allow the import of CBD products but not allow their retail sale through online platforms.

Navigating eCommerce Challenges of Selling CBD Online

These days most of the sales come through online platforms, and brick and mortar stores contribute little to the overall sales of CBD products. Moreover, distributing products to traditional stores is quite challenging for a new business. Thus, the best way to sell their products is through e-commerce platforms for new businesses.

However, most people find it quite challenging to get started with eCommerce. Making products available on any online platform is one thing, but a much greater challenge is sales generation. Here the ways of product promotion are almost endless, from Google Ads to social media marketing. All these things are easy said than done. Online advertising requires the allocation of massive resources and prolonged effort to achieve any considerable sales.

Final thoughts

Getting started with the CBD business indeed requires much learning, but it is true for just any business. Thus, these challenges should not be a cause for canceling the business plans. Instead, it only demonstrates the value of proper planning. Additionally, one can readily overcome many of these challenges by finding the right business partner who can help you get started.

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CBD in Functional Foods: A Guide

Updated January 15, 2024

Written by

dr. Preet Sal SB

CBD Health Benefits

Furthermore, to ensure the most recent and relevant data, the content is consistently evaluated against current scientific literature and expert recommendations.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the more than 100 cannabinoids in the cannabis plant. However, CBD is most popular, as it is most abundant in the plant, readily extractable, and is well studied by science. In addition, CBD has completely changed the way people perceive the cannabis plant. Now, they associate this plant with health benefits rather than substance abuse.

What is incredible about cannabinoids is that they have many different functions. Sometimes, various cannabinoids work in synergy with each other, and other times in an opposite way. Since CBD has so many health effects, it is surely a time to include it in a regular diet to recognize it as one of the most potent functional foods.

There are other reasons why It is necessary to start exploring CBD as a functional food. These days, 70% of all clinical conditions are non-infectious chronic ailments. One of the problems with chronic disorders is that they are difficult to treat with medications and cause significant pain and disability.

Just take an example of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, dementia, joint pains, lower back pain, and more. Most of these conditions are lifelong, or they tend to reoccur.

Studies show that most chronic ailments are lifestyle disorders. It means that they are prevented and better managed through lifestyle interventions rather than through the use of pharmacological drugs.

It means that there is an urgent need to understand the role of CBD in managing various chronic disorders. However, using health supplements daily is a challenge. On the other hand, consuming CBD as a part of the diet may better manage these conditions.

functional foods and CBD

What Are Functional Foods?

These are food items with health benefits extending beyond their nutritional value. It means that they not only provide energy and vital nutrients to the body but also help prevent and even manage health conditions.

Thus, for example, many spices like turmeric are not only used to color the food, improve its aroma, or for nutritional value, but it also has many other health benefits.

Similarly, CBD is excellent functional food. It mainly means creating products high in nutritional value and having the health benefits of CBD. It could be CBD-infused foods or even food products solely made of various parts of the cannabis plant.

Thus, take the example of hemp seed meal or hemp seed cake. It is what is left of the hemp seed after extracting its oil. However, this hemp cake is rich in vegan proteins, vitamins, and minerals, have small amounts of essential fatty acids and can be readily sourced. If we add CBD to this, we can create a food product that is nutritious and has all the health benefits of CBD.

Another example could be hemp seed oil, healthy oil that is quite rich in omega-3 fatty acids. However, hemp seed oil is naturally CBD-free. But, adding CBD to hemp seed oil would create excellent functional food.

Unlike healthy supplements, functional food is primarily for regular consumption as a part of a regular diet. Thus, for example, one can create smoothies using CBD-infused hemp seed meal or CBD-infused hemp seed oil as a salad dressing.

What Are Some Key Functional Food Benefits?

Functional foods provide many unique benefits over other products like food supplements or natural remedies. Perhaps the biggest advantage is a better nutritional profile and palatability. When consuming functional foods, one does not feel like taking some medicine. Thus, functional foods are easier to add to the daily regime. These foods are consumed just like any other food, and yet they have many health benefits.

When it comes to health benefits, the possibilities are limitless. It is because functional foods are not necessarily made using a single plant extract. Thus, one can add CBD to different healthy foods to create functional foods.

As already mentioned, one can use hemp seed meal with added CBD to make smoothies. One can use it before and after the workout. However, unlike conventional high protein supplements, it would also have the benefits of CBD, which may mean low anxiety, better focus, faster recovery, and the lesser problem of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). It may also mean improved metabolic health and more.

Similarly, using hemp seed oil as a part of the diet is good, as it is quite nutritious. But hemp seed oil with CBD would be even more wonderful.

As already said that one can create even better products by combining different foods. Thus, just think about having CBD-infused multi-fruit juice daily in the morning. This would have all the benefits of multi-fruit juice, along with the health benefits of CBD. Furthermore, one can even fortify this juice with vitamins and minerals to create a highly beneficial and unique offering. Thus, as one can see possibilities here are endless.

CBD and funcional foods

What Are the Stages of CBD-Infused Functional Food Prep?

As the CBD market is quite saturated, one of the ways of getting into the CBD business is starting with functional foods. Moreover, here the possibilities are almost endless. For example, one may create CBD infused food range focusing on physically active individuals or foods focused on managing certain ailments.

Creating CBD-infused functional food is pretty straightforward. Perhaps the simplest way of starting is just to come up with an idea of some food supplement range and then merely add some CBD to them. These could be food supplements for sports people like vegan protein powders, pre or post-workout shakes, meal replacement plans, and more. Or one can focus on specific disorders like foods for joint health, diabetes, brain health, and more.

Once you have come up with an idea, one of the most important things you need to know is whether your food item is oil-based or water-based. It is vital to know as CBD is naturally fat soluble but is poorly soluble in the water.

Thus, when it comes to adding CBD to oil-based products, it is pretty simple. One can buy CBD wholesale, like CBD isolate or THC-free broad spectrum CBD distillate, and then add these to foods.

However, if you want to create a CBD-infused energy drink, then you would need to use water soluble CBD isolate or water soluble distillate. Unfortunately, there are very few companies in the market like essentiapura that produce water soluble CBD. It is essentially a nano-emulsified liquid concentrate that is ready to add to just any water-based food and has excellent bioavailability.

Additionally, when creating products, one should also think about adding other beneficial ingredients to differentiate the product from the market. For example, a CBD-infused sports drink with curcumin and vitamin Bs reduces post-workout inflammation.

What Is the State of the Functional Food Market in 2022?

It is relatively difficult to say as there is no clear data. Moreover, definitions of functional foods differ globally. However, what we know is that the wellness market is almost $4 trillion, which is massive. Additionally, we know that CBD has been one of the major growth drivers of the functional food market for the last few years.

There are many reasons for the lack of accurate data. Just take an example of fortified juices. Some would say that it is just a food item, another would call it a health supplement, and yet others may classify it as a functional food. Generally, criteria differentiating between foods, functional foods, and healthy supplements vary significantly between the various nations, creating significant challenges.

Nevertheless, it is evident that the CBD market is growing in North America and Europe. Another encouraging point is that the market will continue to grow for a decade or more. The demand for CBD products is continually growing, and the market is still struggling to meet consumer demands. Thus, though the CBD oil market may be much saturated, the market of CBD-infused foods is still nascent and offers many business opportunities.

Top Ways to Boost Functional Food Intake?

If you have decided to get into the functional food segment, there is still lots to think about before launching any food product. One of the ways to start is to identify the segment that one wants to enter. For example, some may come up with a vegan range of products, others foods for brain health, and more.

If you want to know more about ways of boosting functional food intake, it is not very difficult. Here the secret is pretty simple, instead of choosing usual foods, better choose food products with some added health benefits.

Just take an example of dietary oil intake. Everyone consumes oil in one way or another. However, instead of going for regular vegetable oil, one may opt for organic, cold pressed, omega-3 fatty acids rich vegetable oil. If one can find such vegetable oil with CBD, that would be even great.

Similarly, instead of a regular glass of juice in the morning, why not consider multi-fruit juice fortified with vitamins or other beneficial herbs. Thus, such a juice would be not only nutritious but also beneficial to health.

if you are interested in CBD-infused functional foods, we can help you by giving more information.

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CBD And Your Brain: Everything You Need to Know

Updated January 15, 2024

Written by

dr. Preet Sal SB

CBD Health Benefits

Furthermore, to ensure the most recent and relevant data, the content is consistently evaluated against current scientific literature and expert recommendations.

It is no secret that cannabis contains mind-altering substances like THC, which can affect brain function. However, there has been growing interest in the non-psychotic cannabinoids in the cannabis plant in recent years. There is a particular interest in the role of cannabidiol (CBD) in brain health.

It is true that CBD is non-psychotic and does not give high or cause euphoria. However, this does not mean that CBD does not influence the brain. On the contrary, studies show that it can affect the working of different brain parts and its action on the brain is quite often opposite to THC.

In fact, most people take CBD due to its impact on the brain. Thus, they use CBD to reduce pain and anxiety, improve sleep, and more. There has been significant interest in its role in reducing epileptic seizures in recent years. Now there is no doubt that CBD may help in epilepsy, and there are even some US FDA-approved CBD-based medications for use in resistant cases of epilepsy.

Moreover, the list of indications for CBD is expanding fast. New studies also show that CBD can help improve mental health and has anti-psychotic effects. Experts are even exploring its role in managing conditions like schizophrenia.

Not only that, but it may also help get rid of substance abuse. It appears that CBD has the potential to help people addicted to cannabis, opioids, alcohol, cocaine, and other substances. Not only that, but it may also help reduce the severity of the withdrawal syndrome.

So, yes, CBD has many effects on the brain, and new neuroimaging techniques and other methods of studying brain function are now helping researchers to understand how CBD works.

CBD for brain health

Does CBD Kill Brain Cells?

No, not in any way. It is a commonly asked question as people know that marijuana has a mind-altering effect and may be somewhat toxic to the brain. However, this has nothing to do with CBD. Moreover, there is sufficient evidence that CBD would not kill brain cells even at extremely high dosages.

In fact, CBD is neuroprotective. Studies show that it can boost the antioxidant capacity of the brain and thus help protect the brain cells. This is the reason why researchers are also exploring its role in managing neurodegenerative disorders like dementia or Parkinson’s. In addition, early studies suggest that CBD may help by protecting brain cells from death.

There is strong evidence from animal studies that CBD does not kill brain cells. Moreover, animal studies allow giving CBD at extremely high dosages. Not only that, in experimental animal studies, researchers can use CBD even in embryos. Thus, a study in an embryo of zebra fish found that a high dosage of CBD did not kill brain cells or cause severe neurotoxicity.

Experts are even exploring CBD use for protecting brain cells from various toxins. Thus, one of the in-vivo studies found that CBD may help protect brain cells from alcohol-induced brain toxicity. Studies show that these effects are mainly due to the antioxidant effect of CBD.

How Does CBD Work in the Brain?

It is one of the complex questions that has been subject to much research. Though research has increased understanding of CBD’s mechanism of action, but it is worth understanding that things are not fully clear. It is quite likely CBD has multiple mechanisms of action, and thus is challenging to know how it works in the brain.

The most well-accepted theory is that it works in the brain due to its impact on the endocannabinoid system. However, again, it is not clear how exactly this enables CBD to influence various brain functions. Though CBD can modulate cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2, its action is not very strong.

Researchers think that CBD works by affecting the different types of brain receptors and not just endocannabinoid receptors. Thus, CBD seems to affect serotoninergic, dopaminergic, vanilloid receptor 1 (TRPV1), and more.

CBD also appears to increase the plasma levels of anandamide, which is better known as the “bliss molecule.” Its impact on anandamide levels is believed to help in psychiatric disorders.

Although the mechanism of action of CBD is not fully understood yet, nonetheless, brain imaging studies show that there is a considerable change in the activity of various brain centers after taking CBD. This confirms that CBD can influence brain function in many ways.

CBD and blood brain barrier

Can CBD Cross the Blood Brain Barrier?

Many people are not aware of something called blood brain barrier (BBB). It is a network of closely knitted cells and blood vessels that prevent harmful substances from reaching the brain. BBB is like a dedicated security system of the brain. Thus, it controls the movement of all the substances in and out of the brain. That is why very few infections are able to harm the brain.

But BBB also creates some issues. For example, many medications and supplements cannot penetrate the brain. It means that though these substances may have a beneficial impact on brain health in various experiments, they fail to help in real life.

Fortunately, lipophilic or fat soluble substances have better brain penetration, and CBD is a highly fat soluble substance. Thus, CBD can readily enter the central nervous system (CNS) or cross BBB. That is why it has so many effects on brain cells.

Not only that, it appears that CBD can even reduce inflammation of BBB and thus improve its function. This could be one of the ways in which CBD may exert a protective influence on the brain. Experimental studies suggest that CBD may help in ischemic and inflammatory conditions of the brain. CBD is also good for managing acute traumatic brain injury due to its ability to cross BBB and have a beneficial impact on the BBB.

CBD For Brain Tumors: What’s The Evidence?

Although a lot is known about the influence of CBD on mood and pain, however, in recent years, there has been increasing interest in testing CBD for managing more severe conditions. In addition, interest has been significantly rising in the role of managing brain tumors.

Most brain tumors are glioma. These are cancerous tumors that are very aggressive and difficult to treat. Those diagnosed with the condition have a mean survival of just 14-16 months. Doctors mainly treated it with radiotherapy and chemotherapy, as surgical removal of the tumor is not an option.

CBD will not cure the tumor. However, interestingly enough, evidence is emerging that when it is used along with regular treatment, it may increase lifespan in many instances. For example, in one of the small studies in nine patients, the mean survival rate increased to 22.3 months. This is a considerable increase in the lifespan.

Since very few medications can prolong life in glioma, researchers have wondered about the underlying mechanism of action of CBD. They have proposed that it may be working in many ways. For example, one of the ways CBD helps is by preventing cancer-associated mitochondrial dysfunction, thus preventing the death of brain cells. They think this happens due to the calcium influx induced by CBD through TRPV4 (transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 4) activation.

Studies show that cannabidiol helps in brain tumors in multiple ways, and thus it may help in different kinds of brain tumors. Yet another study demonstrated that CBD might help prevent brain cancer progression by increasing the production of antioxidants in the brain.

CBD also has a supportive role in managing brain tumors

CBD is not just for suppressing the growth of brain tumors. It appears that it can also have a supportive role in treating brain tumors. In addition, it can be a part of palliative care. Thus, regular CBD use may help improve mood, reduce anxiety, and prevent cancer-associated depression. It may also help prevent other issues like pain, nausea, and more.

Another reason for using CBD in brain tumor patients could be to reduce tumor-related seizures. In those living with a brain tumor, these seizures tend to be quite resistant to various treatments. Studies show that CBD could be especially good for those living with resistant seizures. It can help reduce their severity and frequency.

CBD and brain

Are There Any Negative Effects of CBD on The Brain?

Regretfully, very little is known about the negative influences of CBD on the brain, as science still does not have a complete understanding of its mechanism of action. Nevertheless, researchers think that one should not abuse CBD. Furthermore, one should not use CBD for no apparent reason.

Since CBD causes widespread changes in the brain and can affect the working of brain cells, it is quite likely that it may cause neurotoxicity in some. Additionally, it can cause drug-drug interactions, alter the working of the liver, and may have some negative effects on gut health.

To conclude, CBD may not be psychoactive, but it does influence the working of the CNS. It may help reduce activity in hyperactive parts of the brain. Thus, it can help in conditions like anxiety, pain, and mood swings.

It may also help normalize the production of certain neurotransmitters, thus helping in depression. Its ability to change the excitability of neurons can help manage seizures due to epilepsy or brain tumors.

Additionally, new studies show that it can help those diagnosed with brain tumors by extending their lifespan. It has a particular role in the palliative care of brain cancer.

If you are interested in CBD products for brain health, contact us and we can provide more information.

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6 minute read

Is CBD Legal in Finland?

Updated January 15, 2024

Written by

Mag. Nejc Rusjan, MBA

CBD Business

Legally reviewed by

Valentin Mis

Author

Furthermore, to ensure the most recent and relevant data, the content is consistently evaluated against current scientific literature and expert recommendations.

Finland is an EU member nation with high happiness index and a vibrant economy. Moreover, it constantly outperforms many other EU nations on different indexes like freedom of speech, healthcare, access to education, ease of doing business, and so on. Thus it is good to know about CBD in Finland.

Thus, no surprise that this large Nordic nation with a population of just a little above 5 million people always respects and follows the EU norms. It means that, like most EU nations, CBD is legal in Finland.

In fact, there has also been an increasing demand in the nation for legalizing the recreational use of marijuana. One of the ruling parties, The Green League, is at the forefront of demanding the legalization of recreational cannabis use.

When it comes to the public attitudes towards CBD and cannabis in general, they are mixed. Illegal drug abuse is a significant problem in Finland. Finland also has among the highest drug death rates in the EU region. Thus, some worry that too much liberalization might have negative consequences for Finnish society.

A Short History of Cannabis Laws in Europe

There have been many ups and downs when it comes to the European relationship with cannabis. Like most of the world, cannabis use was mostly legal or poorly controlled in Europe till the 19^th century. However, by the mid of 20^th century, its use became illegal in the whole of Europe.

However, in the late 20^th century, many people started demanding the legalization of cannabis, especially those living with chronic pain. Thus, in the early 21^st century, many countries legalized the use of medical cannabis. However, medical cannabis is sold strictly by licensed pharmacies and dispensed only based on doctor’s prescriptions.

Since doctors are constantly monitored for prescribing cannabis, and pharmacies also have to maintain much documentation, it would be correct to say that the use of medical cannabis is relatively uncommon. Nonetheless, it is worth understanding that one can get medical cannabis through a doctor’s prescription in most Europe, including Finland.

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However, soon researchers realized that not all cannabis extracts are harmful. They understood that CBD is quite good for health. It is non-mind-altering and safe. Thus, most countries started legalizing CBD in the early 21^st century.

Thus, in 2018, the EU realized the need for a unified approach to CBD. It then included CBD (cannabidiol) in a Novel Food Regulation, which came into implementation in early 2021. This EU-wide regulation helped legalize the CBD in most of Europe.

However, when it comes to the legalization of recreational use of cannabis/marijuana, things are still in the early stages. Nonetheless, Malta is the first EU nation to start taking steps to legalize recreational cannabis use. And thus, it is expected that many EU nations might legalize even recreational use of cannabis/marijuana in the coming years.

What Drugs Are Legal in Finland

There is no recreational drug that is legal in Finland. There may be several reasons for it. Traditionally, Finnish people have been reluctant to demand the legalization of any drugs. Moreover, Finland has some of the highest death rates due to illicit drug use among young adults.

Hence, possession and use of any drug are illegal in Finland, including hash, marijuana, amphetamines, and so on. A person would be fined or even imprisoned for possessing these drugs in the country.

However, Finland does allow the medical use of some drugs, including cannabis. However, any such medication must be first registered with FIMEA (Finland Medical Agency) and can only be sold in specialized pharmacies and strictly on a prescription.

So Is CBD Oil Legal in Finland

Yes, sales and use of CBD oil are completely legal in Finland. The good thing about the nation is that it is quite good at following and implementing EU regulations. Since the European Commission has legalized CBD and has set a clear pathway for the approval of CBD products, Finland also follows the same path.

CBD oil is readily available in Finland with no legal restrictions. One can buy CBD oil from corner stores, pharmacies, and even online shops. But, of course, it must be free from psychoactive substances, which means that THC content must be less than 0.02%.

How to Start a CBD Business in Finland

In recent years the way of doing CBD business has changed significantly in Finland and the EU. For example, when CBD became legal in many European nations a few years back, one could generally import CBD in a country like any other food item.

However, from March 2021, one can only import or sell CBD in any EU nation, including Finland, after getting Novel Food approval from European Commission. It means that there are some regulations in place.

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One would need to submit the product’s dossier to the Finnish Food Authority along with a certificate of analysis of the product. The authority may also ask for finished product samples for testing purposes. This procedure is to prove the safety, purity, and potency of CBD products in the country.

However, here it is vital to understand that if the product is produced legally in any other EU nation and it has received Novel Food Authorization in the country of production, then one can import CBD product directly into Finland without any need for other permissions. This is because documents regarding Novel Food Approval from one EU nation are valid in all the member states.

However, those producing CBD products outside Finland would need to apply for the Novel Food Authorization with the Finnish Food Authority, but of course, only if they have not done so in any other EU nation.

On the other hand, if they have received the authorization of any of the EU member states, then a copy of those documents is enough for starting a CBD business in Finland.

It is vital to understand that Novel Food Authorization is only needed for CBD oil or CBD-containing products, but not for hemp seed oil. Therefore, one can readily sell hemp seel oil in Finland without many legal hindrances.

The EFSA has put the Novel Food approvals on hold, but it is still possible to buy and sell CBD products without the Novel Food approval.

There are many online as well as offline shops in Finland selling CBD products but as normal food products. This means that selling CBD products in Finland is possible¹, just make sure you don’t make any health-related claims regarding your CBD products.

For those looking to start a CBD business in Finland, perhaps the best bet is to start a business with CBD products made in the EU at the moment. Importing from non-EU states may be challenging due to uncertainties surrounding the legal framework, which should be taken into account when starting a new business.

To summarize: yes, CBD is legal in Finland. One can buy and sell CBD legally in Finland, as EU law does not consider CBD as a narcotic². However, one should only buy or sell CBD products legally produced in the EU, with THC within the permissible limits.

If you intend to start a CBD business in Finland, contact us, our experts can help you get started.

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CBD Oil for Seizures Use, Benefits & Side Effects

Updated January 15, 2024

Written by

dr. Preet Sal SB

CBD Health Benefits

Furthermore, to ensure the most recent and relevant data, the content is consistently evaluated against current scientific literature and expert recommendations.

If someone searches the internet for CBD health benefits, they will find much information about how CBD can help with pain, anxiety, insomnia, skin conditions, inflammation, mood issues, and more. However, it is difficult to believe that these are not the reasons doctors would prescribe CBD to patients.

Interestingly enough, doctors are more likely to prescribe CBD products to manage rare diseases or conditions that are highly challenging to treat. Some of these conditions even do not respond to medical drugs.

Thus, doctors are more likely to prescribe CBD for rare diseases like Dravet syndrome, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, and tuberous sclerosis – these are all rare diseases characterized by difficult to control seizures.

It is quite difficult to believe that much of the high-quality clinical research regarding the use of CBD (cannabidiol) and other cannabinoids is on their ability to help with seizures. Additionally, pharmaceutical manufacturers are also exploring its role in other brain disorders.

Therefore, no surprise that there are already US FDA and EMA (European Medical Agency) approved drugs based on CBD that can help lower seizures in some brain disorders. A drug called Epidyolex is the first of its kind approved for clinical use for managing seizures.

CBD for siezures or epilepsy

What is a Seizure?

A seizure is a condition in which various body parts start moving or shaking uncontrollably due to faulty electrical activity in the brain. Not only that but they are also associated with changes in consciousness.

What is worrisome is that most seizure illnesses are first diagnosed in early childhood, and they continue to affect a person for the rest of their life. It means that there are also other issues of brain development in many conditions.

Another challenge is that seizures are a sign of multiple brain ailments. It means that they may occur not only due to epilepsy, one of the well-understood brain disorders but also due to other conditions like brain tumors and so on.

What is CBD Oil?

CBD is a short name for cannabidiol, one of the cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. CBD is among the most abundant cannabinoids among various cannabis plants. The cannabis plant also contains THC, a mind-altering substance. However, unlike THC, CBD does not cause euphoria. It is not addictive and is safe for regular and prolonged use.

For several decades, the use of cannabis extracts was illegal due to specific health concerns. However, later researchers realized their mistake. They understood that most of the side effects of cannabis extract are due to a compound called THC. Thus, using cannabis extract low in THC (below 0.3% or THC-free) does not cause ill effects.

Since now the use of CBD has gained popularity, researchers have also understood how it works. Their studies show that CBD work by influencing the so-called endocannabinoid system (ECS) in the human body. ECS contains a network of receptors and substances affecting them.

Further, they know that there are at least two kinds of receptors in the ECS system those are CB1 and CB2. Among these receptors, CB1 receptors are more common in the brain. Most CBD effects like the ability to reduce pain and anxiety and control seizures are related to its influence on CB1 receptors in various brain centers. Of course, it is pretty likely that CBD work in other poorly understood ways, too.

How Do I Use CBD Oil to Treat Seizures?

When using CBD oil to control seizures, it is vital to understand that just any kind of CBD supplement will not work. It is because many of the commonly sold CBD supplements have a very low dosage of cannabidiol or CBD.

Studies show that an effective dose of CBD for controlling seizures is 2.5 mg per kg of body weight taken twice daily. If such a dosage fails to help and does not cause any side effects, one may increase the dosage to 5 mg/kg twice daily. One may gradually increase the dosage to a maximum of 12.5 mg/kg twice a day.

CBD Oil for Dravet Syndrome

Dravet syndrome (DS) is a rare form of epilepsy that is often diagnosed during the first year of life in a relatively healthy adult. However, science knows that this condition occurs due to a genetic mutation in the SCN1A gene. Thus, the condition is incurable.

There are frequent and prolonged seizures lasting for anywhere between 5 minutes to even half an hour in the disease condition. It also causes an increase in body temperature. In addition, the disease condition is associated with a slowdown in a child’s development.

What is bad about the conditions is that the disease starts so early in life, and it is a diagnosis for the rest of your life. Moreover, it isn’t easy to treat with modern medications. Thus, doctors would prescribe multiple medications to control seizures in the condition. However, even three anti-epileptic drugs may fail to control the conditions completely in some children.

Now studies show that adding CBD to the treatment may help control the severity of seizures in many cases. Thus, one may add cannabidiol or CBD to the DS treatment starting with 2.5 mg/kg twice daily and gradually increasing to a maximum dosage of 10 mg/kg approved for the condition.

CBD for Tuberous Sclerosis Complex

Tuberous Sclerosis (TS) is another rare genetic disorder that can cause seizures. It is a condition in which multiple non-cancerous tumors grow in various body parts. In some cases, these tumors may develop in various parts of the brain, causing different mental health issues and seizures.

Studies show that adding CBD to regular medical treatment may help reduce the frequency and severity of seizures in the condition.

Like DS, EMA recommends starting CBD for seizures treatment by using 2.5 mg/kg twice daily and gradually increasing to a maximum of 10 mg/kg if needed. Generally, if the minimum recommended dosage fails to work, one may increase a dose by 2.5 mg/kg on a weekly basis. However, the maximum allowed dosage is 10 mg/kg for the condition.

CBD in siezures or epilepsy

CBD Oil for Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome

Unlike DS or TS, Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome is a sub-type of epilepsy. It is epilepsy that begins in early childhood, mainly between the age of 3 to 5 years. Like usual epilepsy, seizures begin with stiffening of muscles uncontrollably (thus causing seizures). Seizures may occur in sleep or when awake, thus causing a child to fall.

Doctors classify it as an “epileptic encephalopathy.” It means that there is also a brain inflammation in the condition. As a result, it can considerably influence the cognitive development of a child. About one in four children diagnosed with epilepsy has this sub-type of epilepsy.

In some children, doctors may struggle to control seizures even by using multiple medications, and in such resistant cases, adding CBD to the treatment may help. EMA recommends starting with 2.5 mg/kg twice daily of CBD along with other medications. If it does not work, one may increase the dosage of CBD for siezures by 2.5 mg/kg a week to a maximum of 12.5 mg/kg twice daily for the condition.

What are the Side Effects of CBD oil?

CBD is relatively safe. However, it is worth understanding that doctors recommend using CBD when multiple drugs fail to help control seizures adequately. It means that a child would most likely use CBD and 2-to 3 other anti-epileptic drugs. This, of course, significantly increases the risk of various side effects.

Fortunately, the side effects of CBD are mild and transient. Nevertheless, it may cause issues like drowsiness, sleep issues, tiredness, unusual fatigue, reduced body weight, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal issues.

Here it is worth understanding that side effects are not a cause for discontinuing the treatment until or unless these adverse effects are severe. Many of these side effects might be due to other medications used to control seizures rather than CBD. However, if these issues worsen on using CBD, one should consult a medical specialist.

What are the best supplements for Seizures?

When using CBD for seizures, most high-quality CBD supplements would work. However, here it is worth noticing that children often need a massive dosage of CBD twice daily. Thus, one should only choose a product containing considerably high amounts of CBD.

For example, if a child weighs 20 kg and requires 5 mg/kg CBD to control seizures, a single dose would be whooping 100 mg. Subsequently, the daily need for CBD would be as high as 200 mg (as CBD must be given twice daily). Hence, it would be good to buy a product that contains 2000 or even 3000 mg of CBD. Unfortunately, there are very few CBD products with such a high amount of CBD. Hence, finding a supplement to control seizures may be a bit challenging.

If you want to start producing CBD products specifically aimed at managing seizures, you can contact us. We can help you come up with an optimal solution.

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Hemp Oil: A Comprehensive Guide

Updated January 15, 2024

Written by

dr. Preet Sal SB

CBD Health Benefits

Furthermore, to ensure the most recent and relevant data, the content is consistently evaluated against current scientific literature and expert recommendations.

People are using CBD or hemp oil for all the conceivable reasons these days, from skin health to managing anxiety. There are even some CBD-approved medications like to control resistant forms of epilepsy in children or manage symptoms of multiple sclerosis.

Along with this, one should not forget that people also use cannabis for recreation.

There are so many different terms used to describe various cannabis products that it may become utterly confusing for consumers. Sometimes it becomes almost impossible to understand the difference between the two products.

So, is CBD oil and hemp oil the same? Well, maybe, but usually not. So, how to know when CBD oil and hemp oil are the same and when they indicate quite a different product? This comprehensive guide will clarify all the concepts so that consumers can always choose the right kind of products.

To start with, one must know that both hemp and marijuana are plants of cannabis species. However, marijuana is high in mind-altering THC and thus used for recreation or to produce licensed medications. Its cultivation is highly regulated.

On the other hand, hemp is a variety of cannabis low in THC. It is mainly used for industrial purposes, producing fiber, animal feed, and legal CBD oil. All the parts of this plant are usable. It means that both hemp oil and CBD oil are from legally cultivated hemp.

hemp seed oil

What Is Hemp Oil & How Does it Differ from CBD Oil?

Since both hemp oil and CBD oil are from the legally cultivated hemp (low THC cannabis species), it may be difficult to understand the difference between them.

So, let’s clarify the things: CBD oil is extracted from the hemp plant’s stalk, flower, and leaves. In contrast, hemp oil is from hemp seeds only.

Hemp seeds are naturally free from THC and CBD. Therefore, it means that hemp seed oil does not contain any CBD at all. However, to confuse the consumers, many online sellers intentionally omit the word “seed” and thus mention the term hemp oil. Hence, it is vital to understand that usually, hemp oil and hemp seed oil are the same things and are CBD-free products.

On the contrary, if the oil is from other parts of the hemp plant like leaves, flowers, or stalks, it will be rich in CBD and other cannabinoids, thus called CBD oil.

So, consumers need to remember that CBD oil contains CBD and may or may not contain other cannabinoids. However, as a rule, hemp oil does not contain any CBD until or unless the product explicitly mentions that it contains CBD.

So, if you search amazon.com for hemp oil and find products containing 500 000 mg or 1 000 000 mg of hemp oil, it merely means that it contains just a hemp oil and does not contain any CBD. These manufacturers intentionally write the amount of hemp seed oil in mg (milligrams) to confuse the consumers. So that consumers may perceive it as a product containing massive amounts of CBD, so beware of such products.

The moral of the story is that, when buying any CBD product, always make sure that the product explicitly mentions the CBD amount in the pack or each serving.

What Is Hemp Oil Used For?

So, hemp oil generally means hemp seed oil that is free from CBD. Hence the question arises why anyone would use it anyway?

Well, there are multiple reasons to use hemp oil. It is good to visualize hemp oil as an entirely different product from CBD. Hemp oil is appreciated mainly due to its content of omega-3 fatty acids. Studies show that it mostly contains polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are omega-6 and omega-3 in a 3:1 ratio. This ratio is quite good for health, lowering inflammation and helping reduce the risk of metabolic disorders.

Additionally, it is exceptionally rich in antioxidants, especially various tocopherols. It is especially rich in γ-tocopherol, which may further contribute to its metabolic health benefits.

It means that hemp oil, like fish oil or krill oil, is good for heart health, lowering cholesterol, improving mental health, preventing neurodegenerative disorders, boosting eye health, slowing down aging, reducing inflammation, etc.

One may consider it an excellent, vegan-friendly oil rich in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants.

hemp seel oil is legal in EU

Is Hemp Oil Legal?

It is essential to understand that hemp oil, which means hemp seed oil is a completely different product from CBD oil. It would be good to visualize hemp oil as a healthy, vegan-friendly, edible oil. Thus, it does not share many traits with CBD oil, except that both are extracted from the same plant but from very different parts of the plant.

Europeans have traditionally not consumed CBD or various parts of the cannabis plant as a part of a regular diet. Thus, regulatory bodies classify CBD and related products as novel food. Something Europeans started consuming after 15 May 1997.

On the contrary to CBD and related products, Europeans have used hemp industrially for ages, and they have also consumed hemp seed oil. Virgin hemp seed oil is not a new food product for Europeans, and it has been a part of the regular diet in some parts of the continent.

Since hemp oil is neither novel to Europeans, it is naturally free of CBD and THC, which means that it is entirely legal to import, produce, sell, and consume hemp seed oil in the EU. Therefore, it does not pose any health threat to the population and is a healthy food product with many health benefits.

Does Hemp Oil Contain CBD?

In practice, hemp oil is just a short term used for hemp seed oil, which is naturally CBD free. It does not contain any cannabinoids. Like any healthy vegetable oil, it is rich in polyunsaturated fats having an excellent ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, high content of tocopherols, and other antioxidants.

It may contain CBD in traces only due to cross-contamination. Or it may contain CBD if it has been added to it intentionally. Thus, if hemp oil does not mention the total CBD content, it means that it is CBD-free.

It is true that CBD oil is also extracted from hemp, but to differentiate the two products, oil extracted from hemp stalk, leaves, and flowers is not called hemp oil and is instead called CBD oil.

Moreover, it is worth understanding that extracting oil from leaves and stalks is completely different from seed oil extraction. One may even extract seed oil through cold pressing or applying pressure. However, extracting oil from other plant parts needs the use of special techniques like CO2 extraction, hydrocarbon extraction, and more.

Does Hemp Oil Cause Weight Gain?

If someone uses hemp oil as a health supplement, it is not likely to cause weight gain, as one would consume only a few drops or milliliters of it a day.

However, quite like other healthy vegetable oils, hemp oil is safe to consume in more significant amounts. It is worth understanding that oils have twice more calories per gram than carbs or proteins. It means that consuming any oil in large quantities will ultimately lead to obesity.

Moreover, it is worth knowing that although hemp oil is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, it is also rich in omega-6 fatty acids, which are more likely to cause weight gain when consumed in larger amounts.

How To Extract Hemp Oil from Seeds

It is pretty simple as hemp oil is extracted like any other vegetable seed oil with the help of cold pressing. It simply means applying massive pressure on the seeds to extract oil. The whole process is done at room temperature.

What is left of the seed after oil extraction, hemp cake, is also used to create food supplements and animal feeds. It is because hemp cake is rich in protein, dietary fiber, and other nutrients.

Extracting oil from the seed is much simpler than CBD oil extraction from leaves or stalks. It is because seeds, once dried, mainly contain oil and have a very low moisture level. Leaves and stalks, on the other hand, had a low oil content and high moisture. Moreover, one needs to separate CBD from other oils. Thus, requiring the use of more specific techniques like CO2 extraction or hydrocarbon extraction, and so on.

To conclude, though both CBD oil and hemp oil are by-products of the same plant, nevertheless, they are entirely different products. Thus, manufacturers extract CBD or other cannabinoids mainly from cannabis plant leaves, stalks, and flowers. However, the source of hemp oil is the seeds of the plant.

Moreover, hemp oil or hemp seed oil is naturally CBD and THC free. Hemp oil is mainly a source of essential fatty acids like omega-3 fatty acids and thus has a very different kind of health benefits when compared to CBD oil. Additionally, extracting hemp oil, selling, and importing it is it is legal almost in all the nations. Unlike CBD oil, hemp oil is not a novel food, which means that starting a hemp oil business does not require much documentation.

If you want to know more about hemp seed oil, contact us.

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5 minute read

Is CBD Legal in Georgia?

Updated January 15, 2024

Written by

Mag. Nejc Rusjan, MBA

CBD Business

Legally reviewed by

Valentin Mis

Author

Furthermore, to ensure the most recent and relevant data, the content is consistently evaluated against current scientific literature and expert recommendations.

Georgia is a beautiful, geographically and culturally diverse nation located in the Caucasian mountains and has access to the black sea. Its location at the edges of Europe and Asia makes it a unique country. Technically it is in Asia. However, culturally most people of the nation associate themselves with Europe.

Like the countries that border large continents, it has a unique culture that mixes different values. Yet, it is a modern, forward-looking, and economically thriving nation.

It has been a part of the Soviet Union and thus a communist country for a long. However, unlike some other ex-soviet republics, it has made excellent progress towards democratization and liberalization. Therefore, no surprise that the legal structure in the country is quite European. After all, the country aspires to join the EU union one day.

It has definitely made much progress in liberalizing the economy and reducing the red tape. It means a clear legal structure, fewer loopholes, no unnecessary regulations, ease of doing business, etc.

Therefore, no surprise that it is among the first ex-soviet nations that began talking about the health benefits of CBD.

It is also among the first ex-soviet nations to simply the process of starting health supplements and even the pharmaceutical business.

Is CBD Legal in Georgia

Georgia is a pretty friendly and hospitable nation that is counting big on its tourist industry. Thus, it has to improve regulations regarding CBD and cannabis in general.

Traditionally, Georgians also had a different attitude towards mind-altering substances compared to other countries in the region. It is a country that prides itself as a nation that created the wine. It has an ancient winemaking culture – older than many of the well-known global wine producers.

These attitudes perhaps helped the nation to understand the CBD better. As a result, it became the first ex-soviet nation to legalize CBD. But not only that, it is the first ex-soviet nation to legalize the recreational use of marijuana.

So, yes, CBD is entirely legal in Georgia. Not only that, even possession and use of recreational marijuana are legal in the nation. When it comes to the use of recreational marijuana, the law only says that it should be used at home and not in public places like cafes, streets, and so on.

Cannabis was legalized in Georgia by the ruling of the Constitutional Court of Georgia on 30 July 2018. It made it the first ex-communist country in the world to legalize cannabis. Not only that, it is among the hand full of nations in the old world legalizing both CBD and recreational cannabis.

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A Brief History of Georgia Cannabis Laws

Like all ex-communist nations, things have not been as rosy in the nation. However, unlike other ex-communist countries, Georgia has been quite good at carrying out constitutional reforms and liberalizing the economy. As a result, it is among the most liberal nation in the ex-soviet territory. Thus, it was not surprising that it became the first nation to legalize CBD.

It is impressive to see how Georgia could legalize CBD in quite a short time. It may be explained on the basis that it also became the first ex-soviet nation to deregulate the health supplement industry.

For example, in most of the ex-soviet republics, one still has to go through a tedious process of registration of health supplements in the ministry of health. However, in Georgia, things differ, and one only has to prove the product’s safety.

When it comes to CBD and its legalization, it all started in 2015 when many segments of the society and political elite started demanding the legalization or decriminalization of the CBD and even marijuana possession. One of the political parties, the Girchi Party, played a significant role in CBD legalization.

After multiple efforts, the Constitution Court of the nation finally legalized both CBD and recreational marijuana in 2018.

How to Start a CBD Business in Georgia

Georgia is quite liberal, and starting a CBD business in the nation might not pose many challenges. But nevertheless, it would depend much on the origins of the product.

It is vital to understand that Georgia is not an EU member. But on the other hand, it accepts many EU norms and regulations. It means that in Georgia, CBD is not a novel food, and Georgian authorities would see it as just any other health supplement.

As per Georgian law, if any food product or health supplement is legally produced in the EU, such a product is also good for sales in the nation. Thus, one would need minimum documents. One would need to prove that the product is of EU origin. Additionally, one may need to provide a certificate of analysis to prove the product’s safety.

In most cases, if a product is produced in the EU zone, these documents would be readily available. It means that there are almost no hurdles to starting a CBD business.

However, when it comes to manufacturers located outside the EU, like in other Asian nations, things may differ. For them, also, things are pretty simple. However, they would be better off getting a local certificate of analysis before importing the product. This will prove that CBD product is safe for human use, and it does not contain THC above the universally accepted norm of legal CBD products, which is not more than 0.3%.

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Can I Take CBD Oil to Georgia

Legally the answer is yes, and you can take CBD oil to Georgia if you can prove that it is for personal use. It generally means a single small bottle of CBD oil. However, in practice, things might differ. There are always fears that a person may bring high THC products in the name of CBD oil. It means that there might be some trouble with customs in some cases.

To conclude, Georgia is the first ex-soviet nation to legalize the CBD and even recreational use of marijuana. It means that starting a CBD business in Georgia is relatively simple. Likewise, if the product is produced in an EU nation, it is relatively easy to import and sell. However, if CBD is made outside the EU, some additional documents might be needed to prove the quality and safety of the product.

2023 update:

In Georgia, the legal status of CBD has remained stable, allowing the CBD market to flourish with a variety of popular products.¹ However, the authorities approach CBD as a novel food with caution, subjecting CBD-infused products to rigorous evaluations for safety and proper labeling compliance. Emphasizing consumer protection, Georgia is committed to responsible practices as CBD’s potential benefits are explored by consumers and businesses.² This approach ensures the industry’s growth while ensuring the well-being of the public in this rapidly evolving market.

Contact us if you want to start a CBD business in Georgia, our team of experts can suggest the best way of getting started.

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Minor Cannabinoids: Everything You Should Know

Updated January 15, 2024

Written by

dr. Preet Sal SB

CBD Health Benefits

Furthermore, to ensure the most recent and relevant data, the content is consistently evaluated against current scientific literature and expert recommendations.

Humans have used cannabis for thousands of years for recreation to industrial use. Besides, they also knew that its extract could help in a range of health conditions.

However, the use of marijuana was suddenly outlawed in most parts of the world by mid-20-century. Regretfully, most countries even banned the cultivation of low THC cultivars. Fortunately, researchers started realizing that not all cannabis products harm health. And some are even quite beneficial.

Despite the ban on recreational use of marijuana in the early to mid of the last century, its medicinal use was allowed. As a result, researchers continued to explore its chemical properties. As a result, they understood that this plant has many unique phytocompounds and more than 100 cannabinoids.

However, despite discovering so many cannabinoids, it would be correct to say that science has been slow to explore the health benefits of various cannabinoids. The popularity of cannabidiol (CBD) has not helped in this direction. In fact, the popularity of CBD had even prevented the study of other cannabinoids.

CBD is undoubtedly among the most abundant cannabinoid, and many of its health benefits are known to science. But now, scientists realize that some unique health effects of cannabis plants are due to the entourage effect that occurs in the presence of other cannabinoids and terpenes in the plant.

minor cannabinoids and health benefits

What Are Minor Cannabinoids?

CBD, THC, and even CBG are in abundance in many cultivars of the cannabis plant, and thus they are called major cannabinoids.

However, there are almost close to 100 known cannabinoids that are very poorly known to science. Nonetheless, things are not that bad, as science now knows the health benefits of tens of these less common cannabinoids.

These cannabinoids are present only in small amounts in the cannabis plant, and thus science calls them minor cannabinoids. However, in the specific cultivars of the cannabis plant, these compounds are more abundant.

There are many ways of getting these minor cannabinoids, like growing cultivars of the cannabis plant in which they are more abundant or using the knowledge of chemistry to change major cannabinoids to minor ones.

There are even some successful attempts at synthesizing these minor compounds. Thus, they are quite likely to become popular in the future, finding broader use as health supplements.

What Are the Types of Cannabinoids?

There are many types of cannabinoids like neutral cannabinoids, cannabinoid acids, varinic cannabinoids, and many other minor cannabinoids.

Though they might belong to different groups; however, the difference is generally minor. Quite often, shared traits are more than differences. It is because they all have a similar beginning. However, even these minor differences in a chemical structure may sometimes result in a considerable change in health benefits.

minor cannabinoid

What Are the Effects of Minor Cannabinoids?

Although there are hundreds of cannabinoids, there we look at some of the more popular ones. About ten of the minor cannabinoids are more or less well studied by science. Rest are still waiting for science to discover their health effects.

Cannabinol

Cannabinol, or CBN, is one of the earliest known cannabinoids that science discovered way back in 1896. It is a result of the degradation of THC under the influence of UV rays. It means that it is more commonly present in plants abundant in THC.

This minor cannabinoid is quite a potent analgesic and also has anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, it is suitable for controlling muscle aches. Science has found it suitable for those living with fibromyalgia in recent years.

Additionally, it is suitable for modulating immunity, reducing the risk of various allergies. Finally, studies show that it is also ideal for controlling glaucoma.

When it comes to metabolic effects, it seems to stimulate appetite.

It is suitable for reducing anxiety, promoting relaxation, and improving sleep quality.

Cannabichromene

Cannabichromene or CBC is in abundance in some cannabis cultivars. It appears to have a greater affinity for CB2 receptors than CB1, which means that it affects peripheral organs more than the brain.

Some researchers have studied it for its anti-inflammatory action. In animal studies, it seems to be as good as some of the commonly used medications but without their side effects.

Science has also explored its ability to reduce neurodegeneration, which may be associated with its anti-inflammatory action. Additionally, it seems to stimulate neural stem progenitor cells and thus have a beneficial effect. It may also help in neurodegeneration by modulating the brain’s immune cells and astrocytes. It is quite likely to be good for preventing and managing Alzheimer’s.

Cannabigerol

Cannabigerol or CBG is a precursor of THC and CBD, meaning that these well-known major cannabinoids are formed in the plant through the conversion of CBG. However, as the plant matures, CBG levels decrease. It also means that it has the properties of influencing both the CB1 and CB2 receptors.

It appears to be especially good for reducing inflammation. Researchers have paid particular attention to its role in managing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), especially Crohn’s disease. It may help prevent its exacerbation and help maintain its prolonged remission. It appears to help in multiple ways, from reducing inflammation and boosting NO production to helping fight oxidative stress.

Since it is so good for reducing inflammation, it is also beneficial for brain health and may have a role in neurodegenerative disorders. Additionally, it also demonstrated anti-cancer activity in many experimental studies. It may suppress the growth of cancer cells and reduce the risk of metastasis.

Cannabidioloic Acid

Cannabidioloic Acid, or CBDA, has a low affinity for CB1 or CB2 receptors, but it may act on other pathways, including the serotoninergic pathway. Due to its impact on various inflammatory enzymes, it is especially good for reducing pain and inflammation. CBDA is especially good for preventing hyperalgesia or increased pain sensation found in conditions like fibromyalgia.

CBDA also has a potent nausea-reducing effect, which is much stronger than CBD. In addition, it appears to suppress acute nausea quite well and thus can be part of anti-cancer treatment.

Further, some experts suggest that it may be more effective than CBD in controlling seizures. Thus, it is better for those living with conditions like resistant epilepsy.

Cannabigerolic Acid

CBGA is the father of all major cannabinoids that is THC and CBD. It is especially good for those living with metabolic disorders and it may help prevent cardiovascular issues. Studies show it to be good for reducing insulin resistance. In addition, some studies suggest that it is good for relieving nausea and preventing vomiting.

Researchers are also exploring its role in cancer prevention. For example, it may help prevent certain types of cancers like colon cancer and even leukemia.

Tetrahydrocannabinolic Acid

Tetrahydrocannabinolic Acid, or THCA, is the father of THC. However, it is non-psychotic and thus safe to use for health benefits. In recent years, science has explored its anti-inflammatory action. It appears to be quite good for reducing inflammation caused by various disorders. It is not only good for local inflammation but also systemic inflammation. Thus, for example, one study shows that it may have a role in managing inflammatory conditions like COPD.

Science is also exploring many other amazing effects of this minor cannabinoid-like anti-inflammatory activity and its role in preventing dementia. It may also help prevent seizures and help reduce rigidity in Parkinson’s.

Cannabidivarin

Cannabidivarin or CBDV is suitable for managing seizures due to its impact on various brain centers. As a result, in recent years, it has gained significant attention for treating epilepsy, and many pharmaceutical companies are testing it to manage the condition. At least, early results are highly encouraging, and CBDV-based medications to treat epilepsy may likely get an FDA nod soon.

It is also suitable for other brain disorders like autism spectrum disorders. In addition, it may have a role in managing multiple sclerosis and even in rare conditions like Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).

Tetrahydrocannabivarin

THCV is good for reducing inflammation, though at present most of the evidence comes from studies in mice. It also showed some promise in managing epilepsy. Additionally, it can help lower blood glucose levels. Some studies have also explored its role in various skin disorders.

One interesting fact to note about THCV is that studies seem to suggest that it is a negative modulator of the endocannabinoid system, which is just the opposite of what major cannabinoids like THC or CBD do. So, it means that it may have a role in managing substance abuse and reducing the side effects of marijuana.

This is undoubtedly not a complete list of all the minor cannabinoids. This discussion only demonstrates how various cannabinoids differ from each other. Exploring the role of each cannabinoid may help create unique health supplements and even medications. In many cases, these remarkable compounds may even help treat some rare disorders like muscular dystrophies or multiple sclerosis.

There are many other minor cannabinoids that science is studying, like Cannabitriol, Cannabicitran, delta-8 THC, and more. What is interesting is how diverse these cannabinoids are in their health effects. Some may boost the function of CBD or THC, others modulate their health effects, while some may even act as antagonists of these well-known major cannabinoids.

To conclude, science has paid much attention to CBD and even THC in the last few decades. However, studies indicate that many minor cannabinoids also possess amazing health effects. Thus, it is now time for science to start exploring these minor cannabinoids and studying how various cannabinoids interact with each other. As we explore these minor constituents of cannabis, we are pretty likely to find some compounds with unique health effects.

If you are interested in learning how minor cannabinoids can help you create unique products, contact us, we would be happy to help you out.

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5 MINUTE read

CBGA (Cannabigerolic Acid) What It Is, Uses & Benefits

Updated January 15, 2024

Written by

dr. Preet Sal SB

CBD Health Benefits

Furthermore, to ensure the most recent and relevant data, the content is consistently evaluated against current scientific literature and expert recommendations.

The cannabis plant is not just about cannabidiol (CBD). CBD is just one of the most abundant cannabinoids. Even cannabis experts of 20-century knew that there are many other cannabinoids. And researchers could discover many of them in the mid of the last century.

Any plant contains thousands of organic compounds that work in sync with each other, providing nutrients and health benefits. But, since plants are so complex, identifying the beneficial compounds is challenging even for modern science.

The list of identified organic compounds mostly unique to the cannabis plant is expanding fast. New studies could identify more than 500 beneficial compounds and above 100 cannabinoids in the plant.

Understanding various cannabinoids is vital, considering that they have different biological effects. However, what has amazed researchers those various cannabinoids not only have different health effects, but they can often have just an opposing action on the human body.

What is CBGA

CBGA is one of the non-psychotic cannabinoids in the cannabis plant. Researchers have identified more than 100 cannabinoids in cannabis or hemp plants, but there is something unique about CBGA.

CBGA is unique in the way that it is a precursor to all other cannabinoids. It means that it gets converted to all other cannabinoids in the plant, including CBD and THC. It also means that it is regularly produced in the plant in small amounts for later transformation into other compounds.

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CBDA and CBGA: What’s the Difference

To understand the difference in a simple term, CBGA is the grandfather of all cannabinoids, and CBDA is the father of CBD.

In the hemp plant, enzymatic activity converts CBGA to CBDA (Cannabidiolic acid), CBCA (cannabichromenic acid), and THCA (tetrahydrocannabinolic acid). Therefore, it means that CBD, CBC, and THC are the outcome of enzymatic conversion of CBDA, CBCA, and THCA, in hemp or cannabis plant.

Thus, various enzymes convert CBGA to different cannabinoids, including CBDA. Although CBDA is related to CBGA, it is chemically different, and it also means different health benefits.

It is worth understanding that science is still exploring the health benefits of non-CBD cannabinoids. Studies show that even a tiny change in the chemical structure of any cannabinoid may significantly alter its role in the human body.

However, the complex is to understand the interaction of various cannabinoids to demystify the “entourage effect.” Researchers know that taking multiple cannabinoids is more beneficial. But they do not understand how different cannabinoids potentiate the action of each other.

CBGA Effects: How Does It Feel

CBGA is a non-psychotic. It means that a person using it would not get high. However, it does not mean that it would not have any impact on the brain. It only means that it would have mild action on the brain that would be pleasant, relaxing, and perhaps pain relieving.

It may also help lower stress levels and anxiety, reduce nausea, and help a person feel fresh. So, it would provide relief due to its impact on CB1 receptors in the brain and its effect on CB2 receptors in other body parts.

CBGA Benefits for The Human Body

Although CBGA is less studied by science than CBD, nevertheless, there are many studies indicating that it may help in various ways. In addition, some of the experience regarding its health benefits come from the use of broad-spectrum CBD. Thus, it is good to use alone or in combination with CBD.

Diabetes & Heart health

It is no secret that there is a strong association between diabetes and vascular diseases. Studies show that CBGA can inhibit an enzyme called aldose reductase, and thus help reduce glucose levels in the body. It also has a positive impact on lipid profile.

CBGA is not very harsh, and most of its actions are mild. Thus, do not expect to lower glucose immediately with CBGA. However, its prolonged and continuous use would help gain better control over blood glucose and improve lipid profile. Moreover, it has an excellent safety profile.

Further, studies show that it may help with diabetes or metabolic disorders due to its ability to modulate receptors called PPAR. These receptors play an important role in cellular metabolism, and their dysfunction is associated with the development of insulin resistance and diabetes.

It May help control epilepsy

The role of cannabinoids in controlling epilepsy has become a subject of high interest in recent years. It happened due to the approval of a CBD-based drug by the US FDA and EMA. Now researchers know that they are treading the right path. They understand that many benefits of hemp extracts are due to lesser-known cannabinoids.

Like other cannabinoids, researchers are testing CBGA for its anticonvulsant properties, and the initial results are highly encouraging. Early studies show that CBGA is undoubtedly one of the cannabinoids good for reducing convulsions in epilepsy. There is strong evidence from earlier animal studies that it works.

Other health effects

Despite its discovery more than half a century back, there is still limited research into its health benefits. It is because most cannabis research stopped for most of the second half of the 20^th century. However, new studies indicate that it is suitable for reducing inflammation, pain, and stress and has many other benefits.

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From CBGA to CBG: What’s The Process

As CBGA is the father of all cannabinoids, it is possible to convert it into other cannabinoids like cannabigerol (CBG). In some cases, this conversion may require the use of specific enzymes; in other instances, just an application of heat.

CBGA is pretty simple to convert to CBG through heat application which results in the decarboxylation of CBGA and formation of CBG. CBG is no longer an acid. CBG is of particular interest due to its opposing action to THC.

Thus, CBG antagonizes CB1 receptors in the brain, unlike THC. This opposing action means that it may play a role in managing marijuana addiction and other substance abuse disorders. Additionally, it also appears to affect adrenergic receptors and serotonergic receptors and thus help prevent mood disorders and other brain issues. It is also suitable for reducing inflammation.

To conclude, science has developed a sufficient understanding of CBD, and now is the right time to start exploring other cannabinoids in cannabis or hemp plant. Further, there is a need to understand how they interact with CBD and explore their health benefits.

If you are interested in exploring the power of CBD, understand what products are right for you? Just ping us.

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CBDV (Cannabidivarin) What Is It, Uses & Benefits

Updated January 15, 2024

Written by

dr. Preet Sal SB

CBD Health Benefits

Furthermore, to ensure the most recent and relevant data, the content is consistently evaluated against current scientific literature and expert recommendations.

Thousands of articles are written each year about cannabidiol, or CBD. CBD is revolutionary in many ways. It has become the most popular cannabinoid compound in history. It has also helped revolutionize the industry, and help make THC-free cannabis extract legal to produce, sell, possess, and use.

But there is some downside also to such immense popularity of CBD. Its popularity means that most people and even researchers seem to overlook the fact that the cannabis plant is not just about CBD. It has many more beneficial compounds that need to be discovered.

Studies show that cannabis plant extract may have as many as 400 chemical compounds with different health effects. Moreover, 100 plus of these compounds is cannabinoid compounds.

CBDA (Cannabidiolic Acid): Everything You Should Know

What is interesting about various cannabinoid compounds is that they have very different biological effects despite a similar structure. It means that in some cases, seemingly similar cannabinoid compounds may have completely opposed action. Thus, some may suppress appetite, and others stimulate, some may suppress immunity, others boost, and so on.

It is clear that this amazing plant has much more to offer. Using pure CBD is good, safe, and time-tested. However, it is time to explore other cannabinoids in the plant. It is vital to understand their health effects and start using them alone or along with CBD.

It is entirely possible that tweaking the content of various cannabinoids in a supplement may help produce products with unique health benefits.

Researchers have already started exploring various cannabinoids. And one such cannabinoid is Cannabidiolic acid, or CBDA. It is entirely possible that it may gain significant popularity in the near future due to its unique health effects.

What Is CBDV?

Cannabidivarin or cannabidivarol is one of the non-psychoactive cannabinoids present in the cannabis plant. It is one of the more than 60 known cannabinoids. It is present in very small amounts in most cannabis species or hemp plants.

Although it is not known well in the cannabis world, it was identified in the plant way back in 1969. It is especially high in certain cannabis varieties native to Asia, like cannabis Indica.

CBDV molecular structure

CBD vs. CBDV: What’s The Difference?

CBDV is only slightly different from CBD in chemical structures. However, this is enough to provide it with some unique properties. Nonetheless, it appears to share many of the benefits of CBD, too.

Thus, CBDV is good for reducing inflammation. However, compared to CBD, studies show that it may have a more significant effect on endocannabinoids and other receptors in the brain. Thus, it appears to be especially good for brain disorders, pain, and seizures.

Additionally, when compared to CBD, it may be better for mood disorders, overcoming nausea. It appears to be also suitable for digestive health.

Thus, it seems that it is quite similar to CBD but has more potent action on some brain receptors.

CBDV Benefits for The Human Body

Some the pharma companies like GW pharmaceuticals already have CBD-based approved drugs for the treatment of resistant epilepsy. And it appears that it is also highly interested in exploring the role of CBDV in controlling seizures.

Some of the early studies in both animals and pilot studies in humans show that it is quite good in reducing the frequency of seizures in some kinds of epilepsies. It seems to act both on CB1 and CB2 receptors. Additionally, researchers are also exploring its role in autism spectrum disorders.

There is really strong interest in this molecule in managing seizures, brain disorders, mood issues, and inflammation. Moreover, it is now readily isolated from the cannabis plant, and its chemical structure is understood well.

In recent years, another company called Jazz Pharmaceuticals has also started clinical trials for CBDV in Autism Spectrum Disorders and another study in a rare kind of resistant epilepsy.

When large pharmaceutical companies start exploring some molecules, it generally means that they have a high level of confidence in the efficacy of the molecule. Here it is essential to understand that Jazz Pharmaceuticals or GW pharmaceuticals are carrying out clinical studies to get the US FDA nod for the use of CBDV as a medical drug.

However, such clinical studies are not needed for using CBDV as a health supplement. Greater CBDV might likely contribute to the higher effectiveness of broad-spectrum CBD products in various brain disorders.

Further, exploring its use in controlling pain, nausea, swelling, nerve pains, mood disorders, and maybe even overcoming substance abuse disorders is good.

Cannabidivarin Effects: What’s It Used For?

At present, very few supplements are using CBDV, and thus the market is nascent. However, it means that there are a lot of opportunities for supplement producers to consider using CBDV. Science shows that it is especially good for brain health, preventing seizures and autism spectrum disorders.

Of course, quite like CBD, one may also use it for anxiety, depression, pain, sleep issues, and stress reduction. It is also suitable for joint pains, gut inflammatory conditions, nausea, etc.

At present, it is not clear how it mixes with CBD in more significant amounts. It could be a direction for future research. In some cannabis plant species, both CBD and CBDV are present in abundance. Thus, there is no doubt that both will mix well. However, science needs to explore the unique health effects of using CBD and CBDV in higher dosages.

To conclude, there are more than 60 known cannabinoids in the cannabis plant, and the structure of many of these cannabinoids is well known. Science has also explored the health effects of many of these cannabinoids. Some of the cannabinoids share CBD properties, but others are quite different.

CBD is now quite popular, and people know its health benefits. However, many other cannabinoids like CBDV remain neglected. Nonetheless, things are changing fast. The significant interest of the pharma industry in this molecule only shows that it is quite effective in certain disease conditions.

However, supplement producers do not essentially need to wait for the results of these studies, and they can start offering products with other cannabinoids for added health benefits to consumers.

If you want to learn more about CBDV and how it can help create a unique CBD product offering, contact us, and we would be glad to discuss it.

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How CBD & Immune Systems Interact

Updated January 15, 2024

Written by

dr. Preet Sal SB

CBD Health Benefits

Furthermore, to ensure the most recent and relevant data, the content is consistently evaluated against current scientific literature and expert recommendations.

The human immune system is quite complex, and it saves the body from invaders like bacteria, viruses, and fungi. It also helps in tissue repair and may also help eliminate toxic substances from the body.

It is quite a complex system containing specialized organs, cells, and proteins. The human system is continually growing and upgrading. It is created in the bone marrow, may mature in various organs, travel through a dedicated highway called the lymphatic system, and quickly acts where needed most.

If some threat is detected, it initiates a defensive response in many ways. It may attack and kill the invading microprobe, create proteins that kill the invading microorganisms, and more. It also releases messenger proteins to get support from various organs. Thus, it plays a vital role in inflammation and tissue regeneration.

The immune system contains two parts: the innate immune system with which a person is born and the adaptive immune system that develops throughout life. Both these immune systems share information with each other and work together to protect the human body.

Some organs that play a vital role in its development are bone marrow, lymph nodes, adenoids, spleen, thymus, and tonsils.

Although primarily protective, it is also prone to errors. For example, sometimes, it may hyper-react, causing allergic reactions and damage to the body. Similarly, it may also sometimes initiate inflammation responses that do more harm than good. Thus, a need to tweak and modulate human immunity.

CBD has many health effects, and many of its benefits are due to its influence on the immune system.

CBD and immunity

How CBD & Immune Systems Interact

Considering that the immune system is quite complex, it isn’t easy to understand how it interacts with immunity. Nonetheless, science is still trying to understand how it may help the human immune system.

CBD is not a nutrient, but it can modulate various receptors, enzyme systems, and organs and thus ultimately change the immune responses.

Perhaps the most important way it acts is due to its effect on the endocannabinoid system. It appears that CBD is structurally close to intrinsic endocannabinoids, and thus it may affect endocannabinoid receptors present throughout the human body.

Before discovering the endocannabinoid system, researchers were genuinely struggling to explain how CBD may affect the immune system. Medical researchers could see that CBD can alter immune responses, but they could not explain how it works. Unlike another compound in cannabis, THC, CBD does not have potent mind-altering properties.

However, it may alter immune responses by modulating the working of endocannabinoid receptors present throughout the body. Now science shows that endocannabinoid receptors are not just present in the brain but also in every organ from the gut to the skin.

CBD can modulate the activity of CB1 receptors that are primarily found in the brain and CB2 receptors that are more abundant in various body organs.

However, there are other ways in which CBD may affect the immune system. For example, studies show that it can act as an antioxidant and thus help change the body’s redox balance. Now researchers think that its ability to modulate redox balance plays a critical role in its anti-inflammatory properties.

Does CBD Help Immune System Response?

CBD can alter immune responses. The immune system has many complex functions in the body. Thus, sometimes it appears to suppress immunity, while it seems to modulate immune responses in other instances.

However, one should not be worried about hearing that it may also suppress immunity. Most anti-inflammatory medications work by suppressing certain functions of immunity. Similarly, CBD also reduces some overactive parts of the immune system.

Of course, since it can suppress immunity, it is pretty good for reducing pain and inflammation. However, quite like other anti-inflammatory drugs, one should be careful using CBD when there is a high risk of catching an infection.

Nonetheless, it is more likely to modulate immune responses, as visible by its effect on various disorders. In addition, it means that it is more likely to suppress only specific immune responses selectively. Thus, it would not increase the risk of seasonal infections or make a person prone to certain diseases.

Perhaps the best way in which CBD helps the immune system is by suppressing hyperinflammatory responses. Thus, it is good for conditions like joint pains. Additionally, it may also lower systemic inflammation, and help prevent disorders caused by low-grade inflammation like heart diseases or neurodegenerative disorders.

New studies show that it may alter certain immune responses more than others. Although researchers are not sure how it happens, they think that its ability to suppress certain parts of immunity selectively may significantly help in some conditions. Thus, early experimental studies show that CBD may help prevent type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disorder.

Studies suggest that the endocannabinoid system and cannabinoid receptors are involved in the development of autoimmune disorders. It also means that suppressing specific immune responses and modulating the working of CB1 and CB2 receptors may be particularly helpful in autoimmune conditions.

CBD and immune system

List Some Ways CBD Interacts with Immunity

In this article, we have already mentioned many ways in which CBD may interact with immunity. CBD may not boost the immune system, but it may help fine-tune immune responses. Thus, it can help in many disease conditions.

The most important way in which it interacts with immunity is through its influence on the endocannabinoid system and its ability to modulate CB1 and CB2 receptors. These receptors are present in all immune organs, from bone marrow to the lymph tissues.

Some of the effects of CBD on immunity are indirect. Like it may promote the working of other internal organs and thus help normalize immunity.

There is no doubt that another significant interaction pathway is its effect on redox balance. In addition, CBD can boost the body’s antioxidant ability and thus help alter immune responses.

Further, some of its influences on immunity may likely be due to its effect on brain health. For example, it may alter immunity by reducing stress, lowering the level of stress hormones, and much more.

Benefits of CBD As an Immunosuppressant

Most people do not realize that significant overexpression of certain parts of the immune system is a significant problem. This is because the immune system often wrongly starts targeting various body parts or overreacting. This is visible in conditions like inflammatory disorders of joints or autoimmune diseases.

Consequently, there could be many benefits of the mildly suppressing immune system with the help of CBD. Moreover, unlike medications, its action is much more subtle and selective. Pharmacological immunosuppressants are highly toxic, causing suppression of even beneficial immune cells.

However, unlike medications, CBD only suppresses some overactive parts of the immune system through the endocannabinoid system. It is more like a balancing act. Thus, it would not suppress the immune system significantly, but only enough to help in a range of disease conditions.

Due to its ability to suppress immunity, CBD may help with inflammation. Therefore, it is suitable for autoimmune conditions like type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, lupus, allergies, and much more.

What is good about CBD is that it also has many other health effects. Hence, it not only helps overcome autoimmunity but may also help counter some of the autoimmunity-associated problems like spasticity, skin irritation, pain, mood swings, and much more.

Final thoughts

CBD can influence the immune system in many ways. Firstly, it may directly influence the working of immune cells, alter the activity of immune organs, and may also help due to its effect on the body’s redox system. Moreover, CBD is safe for prolonged and regular use. It may suppress only overactive parts of the immune system and thus help in allergies, inflammation, and autoimmunity without posing any health threat.

If you are interested in learning more about CBD or want to help people living with immune disorders, we have many CBD products.

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What Are Some Lesser-Known CBD Health Benefits?

Updated January 15, 2024

Written by

dr. Preet Sal SB

CBD Health Benefits

Furthermore, to ensure the most recent and relevant data, the content is consistently evaluated against current scientific literature and expert recommendations.

For those skeptical about CBD and its health benefits, it is good to know that humans have traditionally used cannabis to treat health disorders for thousands of years. However, it was wrongly banned in the mid-20^th century over the worries of addiction and harm to health.

Fortunately, medical experts started realizing their mistakes by the end of the 20th century. They understood that CBD is relatively safe and suitable for health. In addition, science revealed that most harms and addictions are due to THC in cannabis, and removing THC from CBD products makes any cannabis product highly safe to consume.

Some Lesser-Known CBD Health Benefits

Those who still disbelieve in CBD need to understand that there are already few approved medical drugs based on CBD. It is good to treat resistant epilepsy in children, rare autoimmune neurological disorders, have a calming effect, and may also help with some mental health issues. Thanks to extensive clinical research into the subject, the list of its benefits is fast expanding.

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in finding natural remedies for metabolic disorders and some less common diseases. Studies show that CBD can help in the least expected way. Thus, it could be good for gut health, alter immune responses, fight infections, manage autoimmune disorders, suppress inflammation, etc.

It is impressive that CBD also appears to be good for conditions like diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, substance abuse disorder, weight loss, and even more.

lesser known CBD benefits

What Are Some Well-Known Health Benefits of CBD?

Seizures

It could be regarded as one of the less unexpected benefits of CBD. But now, studies show that CBD is quite suitable for controlling seizures when used along with other treatments.

Even more striking are the findings indicating that CBD is especially good for resistant epilepsy. Moreover, these are the patients who failed to get benefits from some of the best pharmacological drugs. However, adding CBD to treatment may considerably reduce seizure rates.

Studies show that adding CBD to traditional anti-epileptic therapy in those resistant to other treatments may benefit about half the patients (49%), which is much higher than placebo. Thus the study leaves little doubt about its efficacy.

Therefore, US FDA and European Medical Agency (EMA) have even approved CBD-based medication called Epidyolex to manage this rare kind of resistant seizure disorder.

But that is not all; amazingly, it is approved for use in children. This only shows that CBD is relatively safe for use in different age groups.

Pain

It is another area of interest. People have traditionally used cannabis or marijuana to manage severe and chronic pains. Of course, CBD is different from cannabis or marijuana, but it seems to retain some of its pain-killing action. In addition, it appears that broad-spectrum CBD is more effective in pain management than CBD isolate.

When using CBD for pain, one is not expected to use it alone and instead as a part of broader therapy. Thus, it may be combined with other medications and pain killers, and it will potentiate their action.

Diabetes

Again, do not expect CBD to prevent or manage diabetes alone, as it is not a magic pill. However, it can be pretty good when used along with other efforts, lifestyle interventions, and medications.

Studies show that it can modulate metabolism and appetite and reduce insulin resistance. Thus, regular intake of CBD may help prevent diabetes in a high-risk individual. It is also beneficial for those living with mild to moderate diabetes.

Diabetes is quite a complex disorder, and CBD can help in multiple ways. For example, CBD may help lower the risk of various diabetes-associated complications. In addition, it may help both due to its mild glucose-lowering action and its ability to reduce bad cholesterol, reduce chronic inflammation, and help regulate insulin secretion.

Not only that, those living with diabetes are prone to neuropathies, and CBD may help prevent and manage nerve disorders. It may be good for preventing diabetes retinopathy, too.

Neurodegenerative diseases

Do not expect CBD to treat Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. However, CBD can help reduce the risk of these ailments on prolonged use. It may have a role in slowing down the progress of these disease conditions. Additionally, it may also help manage some of the symptoms of neurodegenerative disorders.

Studies suggest that CBD may help in many ways. It can lower inflammation, alter immune responses, and may also help due to antioxidants. Further, it benefits due to its impact on the endocannabinoid system and modulating CB1 and CB2 receptors. Studies show that it may also influence cellular energy production, increase the production of neurotransmitters, and thus help in multiple ways.

Multiple sclerosis (MS)

MS is a chronic and a pretty common autoimmune disorder of the brain. It is highly challenging to treat. Some people do not respond to immunomodulatory therapy. Even worse, immunomodulatory drugs are highly toxic. However, CBD may help as an addon therapy by modulating immune responses¹.

But that is not all, and it appears that CBD may also help tackle some of the symptoms of MS. Thus, it may help reduce MS-associated spasticity.

CBD is so good for managing MS that EMA has already approved CBD-based medications to help those living with MS. It is a medication called Sativex.

Anxiety

Anxiety is the most common emotional disorder that affects most people sometimes in their lives. Since it is such a common health issue, people often use natural supplements to manage the condition. Studies show that CBD may be good to use in mild to moderate anxiety. It may help overcome worries and fears.

Depression

Depression is another common mood disorder. It may even coexist with anxiety. Although there are many medications to manage depression, they are highly toxic. Moreover, studies show that pharmacological drugs only work in severe depression, but they fail to help in mild to moderate cases. Therefore, studies suggest that CBD could be one of the better and more natural ways of managing depression.

Insomnia

Sleep disorders are on the rise. They are now considered an independent risk factor for various ailments. It appears that people are not only sleeping less, they also have poor sleep quality. Further, the use of gadgets is making things worse. Many people may lie in bed for long, but they do not sleep enough.

Sedative drugs may help initiate and maintain sleep, but they alter the sleep architecture. Thus, people taking sleeping pills do not wake up feeling fresh the following day. However, CBD does not alter sleep architecture and works mildly.

Inflammation and Autoimmunity

Low grade or so-called silent inflammation is among the significant cause of the chronic disorder. It appears that CBD may not only help subdue inflammation but may have a role in altering inflammatory responses. Thus, CBD may help prevent flares of autoimmune conditions, too.

Acne

Many countries now allow CBD supplement producers to claim that their product is anti-sebum and may help prevent acne. There is emerging evidence that CBD may play a vital role in managing acne. It helps both due to its ability to reduce sebum production and its anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, it is quite likely that it may help due to other mechanisms. CBD work by modulating the endocannabinoid system that is present widely in the skin.

cbd health benefits and lesser known effects

Is CBD an Anti-Inflammatory?

Yes, it works. In recent years researchers have discovered many mechanisms in which CBD may work. CBD can bind to various receptors and alter inflammatory responses. It seems that CBD is suitable for both local acute inflammation like that found in joint pains and low-grade inflammation that causes chronic disorders. It may also help in autoimmune conditions due to its anti-inflammatory properties.

Is CBD Antifungal?

CBD oil can exert potent antifungal infection in many ways. Generally, most oils have mild antifungal properties. However, new studies now suggest that CBD has direct antimicrobial properties. Thus, it may help both when used orally or applied topically.

However, it may not help in severe systemic fungal infections and is more likely to help well with some localized fungal infections. Nonetheless, there is a need for more studies to explore its role in controlling fungal infections.

Does CBD Oil Have Antibacterial Properties?

CBD has mild antibacterial properties. It works in multiple ways. It has some direct antimicrobial action. However, it may also work due to its influence on immunity, ability to reduce inflammation, and much more

To conclude, CBD is no panacea, but it can definitely help with many health conditions. People have traditionally used CBD to manage all kinds of disease conditions. Some of its benefits, like those in pain, anxiety, and seizures, are well known. However, new studies show that it may also help lower inflammation, help in autoimmune conditions, normalize metabolism, and may even help prevent and manage infectious diseases. It is pretty likely that many of its benefits are still waiting to be discovered.

Those interested in starting their CBD business or interested in creating unique CBD products for various health conditions can contact us. You can also learn more about CBD oil health benefits here or buy CBD products wholesale.

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CBD Oil for Digestive Issues

Updated January 15, 2024

Written by

dr. Preet Sal SB

CBD Health Benefits

Furthermore, to ensure the most recent and relevant data, the content is consistently evaluated against current scientific literature and expert recommendations.

CBD is not just another buzzword or fad in the world of wellness. Instead, it is a time-tested remedy that truly helps in a range of health conditions. People have used cannabis to manage a number of health issues for centuries. In addition, many of the well-known lifesaving medications are derived from cannabis.

CBD Oil for Digestive Issues

CBD may have a limited role in overcoming infectious diarrhea or dysentery, but these days very few people are affected by such infections due to improved hygienic conditions. However, in the western world increasing number of people are experiencing functional gastrointestinal disorders.

It appears that digestive issues faced by people are quite complex. In some, they are due to stress and anxiety, while in others due to food intolerances, autoimmune conditions, allergies, and so on. It appears that CBD can help due to its diverse range of activities.

What Causes Digestive Problems?

There are hundreds of digestive problems commonly faced by people. However, some issues are more common than others. Here we especially look at the digestive problems that are widely prevalent, and CBD may help in these conditions.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

It is a complex disorder with very different kinds of symptoms that continue for a long. It may cause stomach upset, fatigue, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, malnutrition, etc. However, researchers are unsure what causes IBS.

Nevertheless, experts think that it occurs due to many reasons. For example, in some, it could be due to hyperalgesia. It means that some visceral nerves become too sensitive to various stimuli. Thus, such people may experience stomach upset in response to different foods. Generally, what may cause this hyper-response is challenging to guess and, consequently, difficult to treat. However, medications or supplements with calming effects may help some individuals.

In other people, it may occur due to inflammatory issues of the gut. This inflammation may happen due to stress, some genetic issues, intolerance to certain foods, and other factors.

Food intolerances

Some have so-called mild intolerances toward certain foods. This could be due to a lack of digestive juices, allergic reactions, hypersensitivities. In many cases, CBD may help due to its impact on immune response and the ability to suppress allergic reactions.

Here it is vital to understand that CBD works in these complex issues because most of the immune cells reside in the gut. The gut is not just a digestive tract, but it also produces neurotransmitters, has most nerve cells outside the brain, and has a massive density of immune cells. The truth is that science is still trying to understand other non-digestive functions of the gut.

Nonetheless, it is clear that various disorders, changes in immunity, brain health, and other health disorders can impact gut health and cause changes in digestive health. Furthermore, it is due to the complex nature of digestive issues that they are so challenging to manage.

Reduced mucosal defense and leaky gut syndrome

Another common cause of chronic digestive issues is the changes in the mucosal defense and consequent leaky gut syndrome. Such individuals continue to have flares of gastrointestinal problems, especially during periods of stress. However, doctors often struggle to identify the cause. It appears that CBD may help boost mucosal defense, reduce inflammation, and assist in many such conditions.

CBD for digestive health

The Link Between Anxiety and Digestive Issues

It is something that deserves a separate discussion, as digestive issues due to emotional disorders and common, and CBD excels in helping in such conditions due to its effect on the gut-brain axis.

People describe digestive issues due to anxiety in various ways, like feeling “butterflies” in the stomach or as if the stomach is “tied in a knot.”

Anxiety generally causes both emotional and somatic/physical symptoms. Thus, there are fluctuations in mood, worry, fear, along with physical symptoms like indigestion, stomach cramps, changes in appetite, and gastric motility.

Many researchers think that chronic anxiety is one of the leading causes of various issues related to gut health like IBS, IBD, flares of autoimmune conditions, and much more. In addition, anxiety may also alter the production of digestive enzymes and thus leading to indigestion.

CBD For Anxiety: Does It Work?

The truth is that anxiety is unavoidable these days. This is because people are constantly living with so many fears and worries. Nonetheless, one can learn to manage anxiety naturally. Thus, one can use methods like practicing mindfulness and using supplements.

Another way to control anxiety is using supplements. It appears that CBD is particularly good for managing anxiety disorder. CBD oil seems to have a calming effect on the brain and helps stabilize the mood. Additionally, CBD appears to act due to its influence on the endocannabinoid system.

There is sound evidence that CBD may help with anxiety-related disorders. There are now many clinical studies to show that CBD works. In one of the systemic reviews, researchers identified 6 clinical trials using different dosages of CBD, from 6 mg to 400 mg. They found that CBD was effective in most cases and was generally well tolerated.

CBD in gut health

Can I Use CBD For Digestive Issues?

Yes, one can use CBD for digestive issues but with certain precautions. For example, one would need to exclude any severe infection or ensure that digestive problems are not a sign of some more severe health issues.

Although CBD would help even in infectious digestive issues, in such ailments, one may need to take other medications as primary treatment and use CBD as a supportive measure.

However, CBD would help better in functional gastric disorders or issues caused secondary to some severe mood disorders or anxiety. It may be particularly good for chronic and difficult to manage digestive problems. However, one may need to take CBD consistently for an extended period to experience the benefits.

Experts generally recommend starting taking CBD from a minimum dosage when living with chronic gastrointestinal health issues. Here it is vital to understand that CBD has some accumulative effect, and thus it would generally take a few days to achieve its maximum effect. However, if it does not help adequately after 3-4 days, one may gradually increase the daily dosage.

To conclude, most people living with digestive issues are likely to be living with non-infectious disorders. Many of these digestive issues are the result of anxiety, altered immune responses, food intolerances, visceral hyper-responsiveness, and other changes in visceral nerve endings or in the brain. Thus, CBD may help due to its influence on the endocannabinoid system and its calming effect.

If you want to learn more about what kind of CBD products we have to offer for digestive health, you can check here.

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What is Leaky Gut Syndrome & how can CBD affect it?

Updated January 15, 2024

Written by

dr. Preet Sal SB

CBD Health Benefits

Furthermore, to ensure the most recent and relevant data, the content is consistently evaluated against current scientific literature and expert recommendations.

It is said that all disease begins in the gut. Nonetheless, science struggles to understand the relationship between gut health and many malaises. In addition, studies show that almost every second person visiting the doctors due to gut issues has very vague complaints.

They may complain about mild abdominal discomfort, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, headaches, fatigues, sleep issues, and yet these individuals might be relatively healthy.

Experts now call these difficult to diagnose conditions as functional gastrointestinal disorders. The most common diagnostic tests would be close to normal in these conditions. Yet, a person would have multiple and difficult to explain complaints.

A leaky gut syndrome is a term more frequently used by traditional medicine practitioners than doctors. Nevertheless, in recent years, many doctors are also accepting that leaky gut syndrome exists.

What is Leaky Gut Syndrome?

A leaky gut syndrome is a term to describe altered gut permeability. Many medical experts believe that it is a widely prevalent condition. It is present in almost all gastrointestinal disorders, particularly in functional gastric diseases.

There are many reasons why gut permeability changes. It could be due to a damaged upper protective layer of the gut. However, that is not all, and leaky gut syndrome may also occur due to changes in gut mucous production, which plays a vital role in intestinal barrier function.

Additionally, researchers think that there are many other causes for the leaky gut syndrome, like altered local immune responses, inflammation, and even changes in the gut microbiota.

It means that leaky gut syndrome is present in almost all gastrointestinal disorders. These changes in gut permeability have many health consequences like poor absorption of nutrients, greater absorption of toxins, penetration of pathogens through the gut wall, and much more.

leaky gut syndrome

What Causes Leaky Gut Syndrome?

Researchers are still struggling to understand what causes the conditions like leaky gut syndrome. However, they are sure that it occurs due to many reasons, and thus the challenges in managing such health disorders. In fact, science still does not fully understand its underlying mechanism, though there are many hypotheses.

One reason for a leaky gut could be a gastrointestinal infection. However, it is not among the most significant causes. It appears that in most cases, leaky gut syndrome occurs due to non-infectious reasons.

Thus, for example, changes in gut microbiota and local immune responses could be among the most significant cause of the leaky gut syndrome. This is also proven by the fact that normalizing gut microflora has a beneficial effect on chronic gastrointestinal disorders.

However, there are many other poorly understood causes like autoimmune reactions. It appears that autoimmune diseases are also emerging as one of the most significant causes of gut disorders.

Another emerging understanding in medical science is the role of brain health in maintaining gut permeability. It means that mental stress, mood disorders may also lead to leaky gut syndrome.

Is Leaky Gut Syndrome related to Brain Health?

Mechanisms underlying the “gut feeling” are now more or less understood. It appears that emotional swings, anxiety, fear, and stress cause changes in gut mobility through increased sympathetic nervous system activity.

Generally, the gut can recover quickly from gastrointestinal issues caused by acute stress. However, chronic stress is altogether a different thing. Chronic stress causes changes in gut motility and gut defenses, thus leading to leaky gut syndrome.

A leaky gut syndrome caused by chronic stress is challenging to identify due to the subtle nature of signs and symptoms. Although signs of such a disorder tend to be less severe, they are chronic. It means that a person continues to live with altered gut function, bloating, fatigue, abdominal pain, etc.

It is unwise to think that only stress or anxiety causes the leaky gut syndrome. Even other brain disorders like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and even psychotic conditions may alter gut function considerably.

What is more worrisome is a discovery that there is a bidirectional relationship between the brain health gut – something researchers now call “the gut-brain axis.” It means that gut health influences brain health and vice-versa.

Studies show that the vagal nerve innervating the gut carries more information from the gut to the brain than the other way, as thought earlier. Similarly, studies show that one of the most vital neurotransmitters in controlling mood that is serotonin is primarily produced in the gut. Studies estimate that almost 90% of serotonin is produced in the gut.

That is not all; the gut produces many neuroactive compounds, peptides, and much more. Similarly, the brain exerts significant control over gut health.

It means that altered gut function has an ill effect on brain health, and brain issues cause changes in gut health, thus forming a vicious circle. It means that to manage the leaky gut syndrome, one needs to break this vicious cycle.

How to use CBD for Leaky Gut Syndrome

Both the local intestinal changes and altered brain function may lead to a chronic health issue like leady gut syndrome, and CBD may help in multiple ways in the condition.

CBD can influence local endocannabinoid receptors in the gut and the brain’s endocannabinoid receptors. Studies show that CB1 receptors are abundant in the brain and CB2 in peripheral tissues, including the gut. CBD oil acts on both receptors.

Thus, by acting on CB1 receptors in the brain, CBD can help counter anxiety, reduce stress, improve sleep, help regularize gut motility, and therefore positively impact gut health.

Similarly, CBD’s action on CB2 receptors improves gut function and reduces gut permeability, thus helping overcome leaky gut syndrome.

Can CBD help with Leaky Gut Syndrome?

Yes, CBD can help with the leaky gut syndrome. However, lots would depend on the cause of the condition. In some cases, the benefit could be dramatic.

CBD will not help if the cause of the leaky gut syndrome is an infectious disease or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).

However, it would be pretty beneficial when it is secondary to prolonged stress and anxiety. It may be especially good for irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, and functional diarrhea or constipation.

It may help both due to its calming effect on the brain and also due to its ability to alter immune responses.

Since functional gastrointestinal disorders tend to be chronic, one can expect more significant benefits on prolonged use for 8 to 12 weeks.

If you are into the CBD business and want to learn more about the role of CBD products in gastrointestinal health, you can contact us.